


Maki Nishikino's Elbow Origin Story

by MakiElbow



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:40:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26925997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MakiElbow/pseuds/MakiElbow
Summary: Huh? Maki Nishikino's eblow came to life? That's right! Let's find out how!
Kudos: 5





	Maki Nishikino's Elbow Origin Story

It was a night in the tail end of December, and μ’s was cleaning out the clubroom for Christmas break. True, it was their clubroom and all, but they wanted to make it look nice while they were gone. After all, what if Santa wanted to visit?

So, as they were cleaning and deciding what to leave and what to take home for the break, they also put up stockings. For Maki Nishikino, this was a tradition she shared with her family, and even if the other girls didn’t get it, Maki wanted the room to be presentable.

“You look so cute putting up all the stockings with that smile of childhood innocence on your face, Maki-chan,” Eli teased.

“H-hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” shot back Maki, a blush creeping up from her neck. “I’m just doing this so Santa-san knows where to go, that’s all!”

Umi gave a chuckle. “But of course, we can’t have him getting lost before he brings us our presents.” 

Nozomi gave a grin. “Or maybe,” she began, “the real reason Umi cares so much is because she’s counting on Santa to give her some lyrics for our next concert with A-RISE.”

“O-of course not!” Umi quickly cut in. “I would never rely on something so silly for something as important as μ’s’ lyrics, thank you very much!”

Everyone began laughing, but Maki thought about Umi’s words. Something so silly? Surely she couldn’t mean… but no, it’s Santa-san after all. After shaking off those thoughts, she recomposed herself just as Nico started talking. “You know, we are school idols after all. Maybe if we sleep in the school through Chrsimas, we really will see a Christmas miracle!”

“W-would that really be allow-” Hanayo started, but was interrupted as Rin leapt over and hugged her. “It’ll be fine, nya!” she said, making her signature cat face.

“I should at least ask my mom if she’s okay with it,” said Kotori. “But it sounds fun! I’ll ask her right away!”

“Yeah!” exclaimed Honoka. “And if she says no, I’ll come beg her until she changes her mind!”

“Honoka, we have to respect her decision,” said Umi sternly. “Even though it’s our clubroom, it’s not our school, and we wouldn’t want to cause too much trouble.”

“Aww, way to ruin the mood, Umi,” Honoka said as she pouted slightly.

Kotori started chuckling, and then everyone else joined in. “Well, if my mom gives me the okay, I’ll let all of you know and we’ll meet back here tomorrow night!”

“Thanks, Kotori! With that, I’ll be heading out,” Nico said as she danced towards the door. “Nico needs to make Christmas for her brother and sisters now!”

“Yes, I suppose we should all be going. We don’t want to cause more trouble than we already will be,” said Eli, as she reached to hold the clubroom door open. “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Everyone gave their goodbyes, and Maki started walking home with Rin and Hanayo. “I haven’t done something like this in a few years. I’m kind of excited,” Hanayo said softly. 

“What, you mean having a sleepover?” asked Maki.

“No, no,” Hanayo responded. “I mean staying up and waiting for Santa-san to come. Just thinking about it reminds me of when I was younger.”

“Well, I’ve always gone to sleep before Santa-san arrives,” said Maki proudly. “He might not come if he knows I’m still awake waiting for him.”

“O-oh, of course! That’s what Kayo-chin meant,” said Rin quickly.

“Y-yeah, that’s it!” Hanayo chimes in, looking nervously between the two.

Just then, Maki’s phone started ringing. She picked it up and put it to her ear. “Hey, Maki. Can I ask you for a favor?”

“It’s Kotori,” Maki told Rin and Hanayo, who were looking at her skeptically. She put the phone back up to her ear. “Sure, Kotori. What is it? We’re still meeting up tomorrow, right?

“Well, that’s just it,” Kotori explained slowly. “I was just talking to my mom, and she said they have to close the school completely for the break, and she can’t make an exception for us.”

Hmm, I was worried that this might happen, Maki thought to herself. Still, there’s nothing we can do about it, so-

“So I talked to Honoka and Umi, and they both agreed we should go to your house! That would be big enough, right?”

Rin put her head right up to Maki’s, trying to listen into the call. “What did Kotori say? Did something happen, nya?”

Rin and Hanayo looked at Maki expectantly. “Well, we can’t stay at school anymore,” Maki explained hurriedly. “So now Kotori wants us to go to my house-”

“Ooh, we get to go to Maki-chan’s house? Yay!” exclaimed Rin immediately, while Hanayo smiled and said “Well, I’d feel more comfortable knowing it's safe with Maki-chan than being at school all night.”

“That sounds like a yes, then. Great! I’ll let the third years know,” said Kotori from over the phone.

“Wait, I never said I was okay with it!” Maki retorted. “But if you’re already going to tell everyone else, I guess it’s fine.” Kotori had already hung up.

“That’s our Maki!” shouted Rin as she ran over and hugged her. “It’s going to be so fun with all of us together, nya!”

The first years eventually arrived at Maki’s house. Maki hurriedly began explaining the situation to her mom, who just smiled. “Of course it’s okay! The more the merrier!” said Maki’s mom, beaming.

“Well, if that’s it, then Rin-chan and I should be going now,” said Hanayo. “Do you want us to bring anything?”

“We’ll be fine,” said Maki’s mom, smiling sweetly. “It’s getting late, so the two of you should go home now, anyway.”

After giving their goodbyes, Rin and Hanayo started walking off. Maki went to begin her nightly routine. She took a hot shower to help clear her mind, and then got into bed. Her friends’ words resounded through her mind, and she fell asleep with a smile.

The next day at school passed fairly uneventfully. It was the last day before the break, and girls everywhere were discussing their plans- either with hopes of being able to meet up or just to brag. After school, μ’s had their practice. “We can’t afford to start slacking now, now that A-RISE is almost certainly within our reach!” Eli said passionately as they broke.

“Anyway, when should we all go to your house, Maki?” asked Nico.

“I don’t know, it could take a while to set up,” Maki mused, rubbing her chin. “Maybe in a couple of hours?”

“Rin and I can help you with that!” Hanayo immediately proposed. 

“That’s right, nya! Kayo-chin and I always walk home with you anyway,” Rin added. “And if we’re helping you set up, we could finish in half the time!”

“If the two of you are okay with that,” Maki said, glancing between the two of them. “The rest of you can just arrive sometime later. You all know where I live, right?”

After getting confirmation from everyone else, Maki, Rin, and Hanayo started walking. Rin and Hanayo kept talking about how much fun they’re going to have having a sleepover at Maki’s house, while Maki kept telling them to stop, her face growing redder each time. Eventually, they arrived. “Mama, I’m home!” Maki called out as soon as they got inside. “Rin and Hanayo are here too!”

“It’s nice to see you two,” Maki’s mom said cheerily. “If either of you need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know. That goes for all of Maki’s friends, actually.”

“For now, you can go sit over there,” said Maki, pointing to the living room. “I’m going to go see if I can do something else to prepare some beds, I’ll be back soon.” With that, Rin and Hanayo headed towards the living room and took a seat on the couch, and started discussing idols.

Within a few minutes there was a knock on the door, and Maki rushed to get it. It was Nico. “You have such a nice house, Maki!” she said, flashing a big smile as she entered. “Of course, Nico will live in a house like this too someday, once she becomes a real idol, but-”

“Yup, I’m sure she gets the idea, Nico-cchi” came another voice from behind her.

“Nozomi-senpai!” exclaimed Rin, jumping up from the couch to greet her. “Did you have much work with the student council?”

“Nope, not too much,” Nozomi said with a grin. “In fact, we had enough time to give fortunes to most of the remaining students.”

“What she means is she sat around and messed with her tarot cards while I did most of the work,” Eli retorted as she followed Nozomi in. “You wouldn’t believe how much paperwork needs to be filled out before the end of the year.”

“Hehe, sorry about that Eli-cchi,” Nozomi chuckled. “I’ll make it up to you later, I promise.”

“Sorry we all came here on such a short notice, Maki-chan,” Eli said, taking a seat. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble to get ready for us.”

“Oh, no, as long as you’re fine sleeping in my room or in one of the guest rooms, then those can be set up easily,” Maki said, gesturing to one of several rooms. “We always keep a room or two ready to go just in case one of Papa’s colleagues from the hospital needs to stay overnight.”

The six of them started getting situated. “The kitchen is all the way over there, you can grab a drink if you’re thirsty, and Mama put out chips and crackers. And if you want somewhere to sit down, the living room is over there,” said Maki, pointing a finger. “That’s where our chimney is too, and I’ve already cleaned it to make sure Santa-san doesn’t have a hard time.”

Nico started laughing to herself, Maki’s words having reminded her of a similar conversation. She was about to say something when “Nico-chan, no!” Hanayo yelled suddenly. “Remember, you can’t!”

Instead, Nico walked up to the chimney to get a closer look. “Are you sure this will be alright, Maki?” she asked. “I mean, your chimney has a gate and all. What if Santa-san struggles to get out?”

“Don’t worry about that, it’s fine!” Maki quickly responded. “After all, he’s come every other year without fail!” Although even as she said that, she shot a few worried glances in the chimney’s direction. This is foreshadowing. She will be worried about the chimney and want to sleep near it later. I’m so fucking hype, I know how to use foreshadowing.

Just then, there was another knock. “I’ll get it!” Eli called out as she headed towards the door. It was Kotori and Umi. “Where’s Honoka?” Eli asked sarcastically. “Did she get lost?” 

“I don’t know. She suddenly stopped and told Umi and I to go on without her,” Kotori responded nervously, gesturing to Umi.

“Yes, but I’m sure she’ll be fine. She knows where Maki lives,” Umi continued. “She had that look in her eyes she sometimes has when she gets a good idea, so I just let her go.”

“Upright Wheel of Fortune!” Nozomi called out from the living room. “She’ll be fine!”

“Well, that’s that, I suppose,” muttered Umi as she walked over to sit down next to Nozomi. “I can worry a bit less now, but I still have to wonder exactly where she ran off so quickly.”

Nozomi put away her tarot cards and pulled out two decks of playing cards. “Umi, you look stressed. Let’s play cards to help take your mind off it!”

“We want to play too!” Rin chimed in, practically dragging Hanayo.

“Great, that’s enough for poker,” Nozomi said with a smile. She started shuffling the cards with finesse, and just as she was dealing them there was a final knock at the door.

“Oh, now that must be Honoka,” Maki smiled as she ran over. She opened the door to Honoka, who gave a quick peace sign.

“Sorry I’m late!” Honoka backtracked a few steps to the other side of the gated wall in front of the house. “I was going to come with Kotori and Umi, but I found this-” She pulled Yoshiko out from hiding behind the wall, who gave a small “eek!” as she was forced into the open. “-little creature lurking around in the shadows on the side of the street.”

“Yoshiko?” asked Maki, raising an eyebrow. “What were you doing all the way out here?”

“Christmas is the time when underworld activity is at its highest, especially in such a cursed city as Tokyo!” shouted Yoshiko, her eyes darted from the street to Maki’s house and back again. “And it’s Yohane!”

“Oh, just get in there,” said Honoka, giving Yoshiko a small shove. She followed inside, and pulled a few boxes out of her bag and laid them on the table. “I brought manjuu for everyone!” she said with a grin.

“See Umi, you were worrying for nothing!” Umi said pleasantly, hoping to elicit a response- but Kotori just smiled. “Anyway, it seems like that’s all of us now. Yoshiko, would you like us to deal you in? We’re playing five card draw.”

“Very well,” Yoshiko said, trying to regain her composure as she made her way over to the table by the fireplace. “I’m sure the experience will come in handy for future fallen angel tasks I may need to perform.”

Nozomi started doing a series of shuffles and cuts and started dealing as Kotori turned towards Maki. “I’m sorry about this,” she started. “It really can’t be easy to host all of us, especially since we showed up at the last minute.”

“Well, Mama is doing most of the work. I think she’s setting up rooms for you right now-”

“Oh, you don’t have to go to all that trouble! Umi and I always end up on the floor whenever we’re at Honoka’s house, and your living room is a lot bigger than hers anyway. I’m sure the ten of us could sleep out here easily.”

“Do you think everyone would be okay with that?” Maki asked, looking around.

Everyone looked around the room at each other, and then they all started speaking at once.   
“Nico uses a sleeping bag at home anyway”

“I always sleep as close to hell as possible”

“Let’s do it Elicchi, it’ll be fun~”

“Oh, why not”

Everyone seemed to agree. “Then it’s settled!” said Kotori cheerily. “If we set up in the living room, there should be more than enough space for everyone!”

Working together, Kotori, Maki, and Honoka were able to get enough blankets and pillows set up without any issue. Meanwhile, Nozomi, Umi, Rin, Hanayo, and Yoshiko had begun playing cards. “Sorry,” said Maki as she tried to maneuver past them. “Can I set up a spot between the table and the fireplace?”

“Sure, I can move,” said Nozomi, gripping her cards. “But not before this! Full house!”

Groans from the others ensued as they gave up their cards to be reshuffled. Yoshiko looked especially disappointed. “Another one? You just won with a full house only three hands ago! Are you sure you aren’t doing anything?”

Nozomi only flashed a smug look. “Nope, it’s just that I’m incredibly lucky~”

They continued playing for many hands. Nozomi ended up the winner by a large margin. “Awww… I didn’t win a single hand.” Yoshiko let her head droop. “I think there’s some sort of dark aura surrounding this house.”

“Look on the bright side!” said Nozomi cheerily, walking up to Yoshiko and patting her on the shoulder. “You must have used up so much bad luck that now there’s only good luck in the air! I wonder if we have enough now to make a Christmas miracle~”

“In any case,” started Eli. “If you’re done with that, we should probably clean up and get some sleep. Our next battle with A-RISE has started even now, and we’ll be losing already if we’re too tired to practice well.” 

“Sorry, can I get to sleep now, then?” asked Maki. “I’m pretty tired, and..”

“Sure, go ahead,” said Eli. “I’m sure we’ve burdened you enough already.”

“Hey look, she’s sleeping next to the fireplace!” A mischievous look spread across Nico’s face. “Do you think-”

But before she could finish her question, Hanayo butted in. “N-no, she’s just sleeping there because she’s still cold! Isn’t that right Maki-chan?”

“W-well, of course! Why else would I want to sleep there?” Maki quickly responded. But even as she did, she started subtly fidgeting with the fireplace’s gate.

“Or perhaps!” Yoshiko chimed in, striking an ominous pose, “you, too, seek refuge in the fires of hell, and wish to allow them to consume you!”

“Yoshiko, I highly doubt that’s the case.” Umi said sharply. “In fact, I’m almost certain that it is just as Hanayo said. And given the circumstances, it would be a very good idea to allow Maki to get as much rest as she needs.”

“Yeah! If Maki is tired, then we should let her sleep wherever she wants,” Hokona said, nodding enthusiastically. “And I’d feel bad if she were the only one going to sleep, especially since this is her house..”

“Maybe it is best that we all sleep now, then.” Eli turned to the scattering of makeshift beds around the room. “I can take that one,” she said, pointing to one close to the middle.

“I’ll go next to Eli-cchi~” announced Nozomi.

Eventually, they all became situated. One by one, they drifted off to sleep.

When Maki woke up the next day, she noticed she had left her arm right next to the fireplace, and it felt kind of warm. She decided to ask Nico, who woke up first. “Of course your arm would be warm,” Nico said nonchalantly. “It was resting right next to the fireplace all night, right?”

“But then why didn’t I feel it before I went to sleep, or while I was sleeping?”

“Maki? You’ve channeled the fires of hell after all?” Yoshiko had woken up. In fact, everyone was starting to wake up.

“But I had such a good reading last night!” Nozomi protested. “I think it has to be a Christmas miracle.”

“Hey, it’s not that big of a deal!” Maki butted in. “My arm is feeling a little warm, that’s all. You don’t need to jump to these crazy conclusions!”

Umi looked over, concerned. “You say that now, but if it starts feeling worse, don’t just push through it, okay? For your sake as well as for the sake of μ’s.”

“I told you I’m fine!”

Eventually, Yoshiko and the members of μ’s gave their goodbyes and left. Maki had a nice Christmas celebration with her family, and then they all went out for dinner. Although her elbow started feeling warmer, she didn’t mention it to her parents. After all, they were doctors- they would think she was hallucinating for sure, and then she might not be able to go to school the next day.

When Maki got home, she finished cleaning up from the night before, then quickly did her nightly routine and then went to sleep early. She played it off to her parents as if she was tired from spending time with her friends, but in reality her harm had been getting gradually hotter throughout the day. Maki was still intent on ignoring it for as long as possible, however, and decided that a good night’s sleep would definitely fix all her problems.

By the next morning, Maki’s arm was feeling a bit better, but the burning had localized itself to her elbow. It was a school day, and since Maki prided herself on her grades she decided to go despite the discomfort she was in.

She found it difficult to concentrate in class, but did so despite herself. She was even too stubborn to take any help from Rin or Hanayo, who grew increasingly worried throughout the day. “Maki-chan…” muttered Hanayo eventually. “If this keeps up, you should really see a doctor.”

“W-what are you saying? I said I’m fine! I’m going to practice today like I do every day!” Maki said adamantly.

When school finished for the day, Rin and Hanayo tried again to convince Maki to go home, but she remained firm in her decision. It was the same when the other members of μ’s asked. By this point, Maki’s elbow really was hurting quite a bit, but she was even less willing to admit it.

Practice started, and everyone started doing their warm-ups and stretches as usual. While doing a shoulder stretch, Maki happened to touch her elbow and it felt hot to the touch. In fact, she realized the pain had been getting worse all day.

Then they started practicing their choreography and singing. μ’s would be going up against A-RISE soon, and as Umi had finished the lyrics the best they would be able to do would be to put their all into practice until the very end. With that thought in all of their minds, the girls were determined to fight to win.

“Good! Good! Good!” Eli called out as she watched over the other members. “All your movement is looking really good, if we can do this on the big stage we’ll have a shot.”

But just as she said that, Maki felt a sudden pain shoot through her entire arm and collapsed to the floor. “Everyone stop!” Eli yelled out. “Maki! Are you alright?”

“Maki? Maki-chan?” Nico kneeled down next to her, feeling her elbow. “It’s still really hot! What should we do?”

Everyone was stunned, but they quickly rushed over to her and got her inside. Eli quickly took control of the situation. “Nozomi, run and get some ice! Honoka, go get some water! Umi, get a towel! The rest of us will stay here with Maki in case something else happens.”

The girls ran off as instructed, looking worried. Maki didn’t appear to be conscious, but her face was writhing in pain. Every few seconds, she would make a sudden gasp or grunt as she twitched, but she showed no signs of waking. She was breathing heavily, and even began sweating all over, to the point where her clothes were slightly damp.

“I have a towel!” came Umi’s voice.

“Alright, let’s lie her down over here and try to wipe off some of this sweat.” Eli knelt down next to Maki and started rubbing her face with the towel, while Nico just stared at her without saying a word. Further groans of pain escaped Maki’s lips as Eli ran the towel over the rest of her body, drying her as best she could.

“I got it!” Honoka yelled as she approached, waving a bottle of water over her head.

“See if you can get her to drink any,” said Eli. “I’ll try holding her mouth open.”

As Maki was still twitching, Honoka uncapped the bottle and slowly crawled over. The others watched as Honoka carefully moved the lip of the bottle towards Maki’s mouth with as much care as she could muster. “Maki...-chan,” she whispered as she started slowly pouring. The water glistened as it passed through Maki’s lips, and although unconscious she reflexively swallowed a bit.

“Eli, I have the ice!” came Nozomi’s voice.

“Alright, that’s for her elbow,” Eli said, gesturing. “Wrap a few pieces in a towel and apply it with some pressure to the skin.”

Nozomi did as she was told. She slowly pulled back Maki’s hair with her hand and put the makeshift ice pack on her forehead. “She’s really sweating a lot,” noted Nozomi as she looked for the best place to put the ice. “And her face- it still looks like she’s in pain.”

Nobody knew what to do. Even Eli and Umi were only making educated guesses. Eventually they all ran out of ideas, and just sat around Maki, glancing occasionally glancing towards Maki’s body and then looking away again, as if not wanting to accept the truth.

After almost an hour of everyone sitting and watching, and occasionally replacing the ice, Maki’s erratic movements began to subside. A few minutes later, she opened her eyes. Nico got up to rush to her side, but Eli gave her a firm look. “Maki,” Eli asked softly. “Do you know where you are?”

“W-well we’re at school. We’re having practice right now. I remember that much, at least,” Maki said, looking unconcerned. “I don’t know why we’re all on the floor right now, but shouldn’t we get back into formation?”

“Maki, does your elbow still hurt?” Eli probed.

“I’m fine.” Maki paused for a moment, considering the situation. “I remember my elbow was hurting, but it feels completely normal now. I’d say I’m feeling great.”

“That’s right.”

Eli looked between her and the other members of μ’s. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said firmly. “If you want to try stretching you can do that, but I’m not letting you do any strenuous activities, at least for today.”

With that, practice continues. While the other members of μ’s worked on their dance for the upcoming battle with A-RISE, Nico stayed with Maki to stretch. When they were stretching out each other's backs, Nico spoke up. “I can understand not wanting to tell Eli, but if there’s anything that’s really bothering you that you want to talk about, I won’t tell her.”

“Well, I-” She thought for a moment “Nico is acting really cute right now,” but that would be far too embarrassing. So instead, she-

“Woah Maki, really? Are you sure you’re okay? You would normally never say something like that out loud, especially with everyone else here!”

“W-what?” gasped Maki, covering her mouth with her hands and frantically looking around. “Did I say that out loud? Did anyone else hear?”

“I think your secret’s safe with me for now, Maki-chan~” Nico said with a grin. “But I’m glad you were finally able to get your feelings out!”

They finished stretching. Nico joined the rest of the group and Maki sat down and watched. Everyone was doing a great job, and they were all starting to feel more confident about possibly beating A-RISE.

Eventually, practice came to an end. Maki got up and Eli approached her. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better, Maki. I hope you’ll be able to practice with us tomorrow.”

With that, she turned and headed off with Nozomi to do some last minute student council work. Maki headed over to where Rin and Hanayo were. “You two ready to start heading home?”

“S-should you really be walking on your own after that?” Hanayo asked, looking concerned.

“Yeah, I told you already.” Maki really was feeling much better, almost surprisingly so. “Let’s just go, I don’t want you two to be getting home late.”

The three of them started walking. Rin and Hanayo started discussing the events of that day’s practice. “It was really scary,” said Rin, putting her hands together. “But I’m really glad Maki-chan is feeling better now, nya!”

“But one more time,” said Hanayo. “You’re really sure you’re ok?”

“Of course we are!”

Hanayo gave Maki a confused look. “You said we- are you referring to the three of us?”

“H-huh? What are you talking about?” Maki said, visibly flustered. “I didn’t say that!”

“But you just did!” Rin chimed in, accompanied by fervent nodding from Hanayo. “You said ‘of course we are!’”

“Maybe I’m not fully recovered from practice earlier.” Maki was becoming genuinely worried that something was wrong with her. “Can you let me take a break on that bench up ahead?”

The three girls sat down on the bench, and for a while it was silent. Just the occasional sound of a car horn or the cicadas chirping could be heard. “It’s cold,” said Hanayo. “Can I move closer?”

“Yeah, I guess,” said Maki, staring off into the distance.

Rin and Hanayo sat on either side of Maki, who put her arms around their shoulders. “Thank you for being here for me,” Maki said softly, with a pensive look on her face. Suddenly, she buried her face in her hands. “Everyone is hearing me say things that I don’t remember saying! And I’m saying things out loud that are just crazy! What’s wrong with me?”

“Hey, no, no, it’s okay,” Hanayo said softly, trying to calm her down.

“I want to go home.”

“Okay,” said Rin. “If you’re ready, that would probably be best, as it’s starting to get dark.”

“Wait, I didn’t say that out loud, did I? Oh no, it’s happening again!” Maki got up and started running, not caring where, just not wanting her friends to think she was going crazy.

“You really care about Rin and Hanayo, don’t you?”

Maki froze. How did that thought appear in her head out of nowhere? 

“Maki. Your elbow.”

She looked down at the elbow that had been causing her so many problems. Well, it had completely stopped hurting, so it wasn’t going to be a problem anymore, right?

“Maki. I am not a thought inside your head. I am your elbow. By some miracle, I gained consciousness around earlier today and I’ve been with you ever since.”

“H-how is that even possible?”

“To be honest, even I have no idea. But if you would really like to find out, then I would like to work together with you to get to the bottom of this.”

“I-” Maki started to say something, but just then Rin showed up.

“Found you! What are you doing all the way over here?” she asked. “And not only that, but were you talking to yourself just now?”

“O-of course not!” Maki said, putting her arms behind her back. “Anyway, we’re almost at my house, so I should probably go now anyway!”

“Well, okay then.” Fortunately for Maki, Rin didn’t seem suspicious at all. “I’ll go back with Hanayo. I hope we’ll see you at practice tomorrow!”

“Yeah, I’m feeling a lot better now!” Maki said cheerily, waving as she walked away. Once she was sufficiently far, she moved her arm to bring her elbow up in front of her face. She spoke in a whisper. “Please, don’t talk like that in front of the others. They’ll think something is wrong with me.”

“Well, that’s the thing,” Maki’s elbow responded. “Your elbow became sentient, and you’re having a conversation with it. Wouldn’t you say there definitely is something wrong here?”

“Well, even if that’s true, it’s not like there’s anyone I can tell. First of all, anyone I tell would think I’m crazy! And even if we do prove it, what would they do? I’m pretty sure I don’t know any elbow channelers!”

“That’s not very nice,” said Maki’s elbow. Maki thought that if she had a face, she would have been pouting. “Oh, I know! What about that crazy demon girl you were hanging around with last night?”

“You mean Yoshiko?” Maki genuinely considered her elbow’s suggestion for a bit, and then decided. She didn’t have too many other options after all, and she was still a little scared of her elbow’s new abilities. She went to get her phone and dialed Yoshiko’s number.

It didn’t even ring. “Maki? Do you need something?”

“Yoshiko? Have you gone back to Numazu yet?”

“No, I haven’t. I was planning on going back tomorrow night. Why?”

“Well… it’s too complicated to explain. Listen, can you just come to μ’s’ practice tomorrow? It’s really important, and you’re the only one who can help!”

“If it’s that important, then I’ll come. I’ve already finished everything I need to do here.”

The next day, when Maki arrived at practice, Yoshiko was already there, talking with Rin. “Oh, hi Yoshiko,” Maki said, walking over towards the two. “How much has Rin told you already?”

“She said that after you collapsed at practice, you were in really bad shape for a while, but you suddenly got better. And then, when you were walking home together, you were talking to yourself a lot. Could it be that you’re possessed?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, I-” Maki stuttered a bit, her arm tensing up. “It’s complicated, I’ll explain once everyone else gets here.”

Yoshiko’s eyes widened, and she jumped back dramatically. “So I was right? Kekekeke… then you were wise indeed to ask for my assistance. Perhaps I will be able to sure you, if-”

She was suddenly pushed aside by Nico, who had just arrived. “Maki, are you alright? I heard it from Rin. You were talking to yourself, and right after what happened at practice? That’s not good, no matter how you look at it.”

“Nico, I’m fine.” With that, everyone sat down and they waited for the others. When they finally arrived, Maki got up and started talking. “Everyone,” she began. “I have someone I need to tell you.”

Maki looked unsure for a second, looking between all of her friends as they stared back at her, genuine concern in their eyes. That sight was all it took to give her the confidence she needed. She started slowly rolling up her sleeve, exposing her elbow without hesitation. “Well,” she said, looking down at her elbow. “It’s your turn now, little buddy.”

On cue, a sound came from Maki’s elbow. “Hello, everyone,” she said. “It’s nice to finally be able to talk to you like this at last.”

Everyone was silent for a few moments. Hanayo was the first to speak. “I-it sounds just like M-Maki-chan..”

“How is it even talking in the first place? It doesn't have a mouth!” Nico butted in. “And I’m pretty sure elbows don’t have brains, either!”

“Hey, that’s not nice at all!” said Maki’s elbow. “I really just want to be friends with everyone!”

Yoshiko chuckled as she observed. “Fufufu… you really are sentient, aren’t you? How fascinating. Even Yohane herself was caught off guard at first!”

“Yoshiko…” Maki let out slowly, sounding hurt. “Is this some sort of game to you? Do you think this is a joke?”

Yoshiko pouted slightly and crossed her arms. “Well I would hope you wouldn’t drag me out here just for some elaborate ruse.”

“Wait, wait! Is this why you were talking to yourself last night Maki-chan?” Rin spoke up. “It seemed really odd at the time, but if this was it, nya..”

“Y-yeah, that’s right,” Maki answered, looking away. “I’m sorry… I didn’t want to worry you if it was just me going crazy or something.”

“I would want to know if you’re going through something! I’m your friend, after all!” Rin responded.

“I think she speaks for all of us,” Nozomi said with a grin. “This is certainly strange, but between the ten of us we’ll definitely figure something out.”

“Eleven!” said Maki’s elbow, causing everyone to let out a chuckle. “Yes, you too, of course,” said Eli.

“Anyway, um, Mr. Elbow?” Honoka approached Maki carefully. “Why are you here? And you too, Maki. Do you know anything?”

Maki looked like she was about to speak but her elbow butted in first. “My memories start on Christmas morning,” she said. “Though they were pretty hazy at that point. I remember feeling warm, though.”

“Really?” Maki’s eyes widened. “Christmas morning was when my elbow started burning! Do you think it’s related?”

Nico spoke up. “You idiot, that was because you left it right next to the fireplace all night! What did you expect?”

“No, that shouldn’t have been it,” Umi said stoutly. “We put it out some time before everyone went to sleep, and by the time we set up our beds it was cold. So, unless someone relit it while the rest of us were sleeping…”

“Then it was a Christmas miracle after all!” Nozomi’s face lit up.

Yoshiko suddenly put her hands up in front of her face and grinned devilishly. “Ke-he-he…” she laughed under her breath. “With the power of Christmas on your side, it’s surely possible.”

“So that’s what happened?” asked Maki. “Then, how do I go back to normal?”

“What?” Maki’s elbow suddenly asked. “You don’t want me?”

“Gosh, no, that’s not what I meant, elbow!” Maki corrected herself. “We need to find a way for me to seem normal, or else who knows what would happen.”

“W-what if they take you to a lab to study you?” Hanayo stuttered. “And they’ll do experiments on you, and all sorts of things, and you might not want to be an idol anymore…”

“What’s best for Maki is best for me,” Maki’s elbow said at once. “If she really doesn’t want me, then of course I would work with her to achieve that… even if it would mean losing my sentience.” She paused slightly. “But if there’s a chance that we can exist together, I won’t give up on it! I love Maki-senpai, and I want to help her! I think it’s a miracle that we came to exist in the same world, and I’m not ready to leave that behind!”

Everyone was floored by Maki’s elbow’s sudden outburst. Eli spoke first. “Maki?” she asked politely. “Is that something you want, too?”

“Yes,” she responded at once. “If there is a way for this to work out, I think that would be wonderful.”

“I certainly hope there is. Everyone, this really is quite crazy, but we all need to work together. Let’s all help Maki’s elbow as much as we can.”

“Yeah!”

The next day, Maki’s elbow joined μ’s in practice. She wasn’t a full fledged idol or anything, but she really enjoyed giving everyone her support. Just like they decided, Maki’s elbow didn’t talk around anyone else. But that was fine- she had nine great friends now! What more could she ask for?

Maki’s elbow was content.


End file.
